I am really wanting to teach in Central or Eastern Europe. I am currently job searching and want to get a job for Europe that starts in September 2011. However, I know that it is difficult for a non EU citizen to find work there without applying for the job in person, but I am not able to be there in person at the moment. Does anyone have any advice, experience, or contacts? I would appreciate it. Thanks!

We are currently in the process of selecting native speakers. Due to our geographical location, we are forced to hire via Internet(despite other posts to the contrary, there is not a large pool of native speakers on the ground in the part of the Czech Republic I live in, so we hire from abroad.) Most of our applicants are from North America, which means we will shortly be going through this process.

Thus far it doesn't seem like much has changed from two years ago--we had to call the embassy in Vienna to find this out as the relevant office in our area simply did not know. One thing of note that is significant is that apparently non-EUers are no longer allowed to obtain business licenses(zivnostensky lists) until they've lived here for 2 years.

Another thing that has changed is, whereas before a business was obliged to advertise the position for six weeks in advance at the employment, now the business that wishes to hire a non-European has to go to the office in question and plead their case, which can be rejected or approved at the whim of the office.

Although that doesn't directly affect teachers, rather schools, it's all the information I have at the moment. As we muddle through the new process, I will post here on any changes from 2009-10(which is the last time we had to hire from abroad.)

I think the market has stagnated here. There was a time when any native speaker could get a job here, but the way things are its only the experienced, with contacts who can make a living. Or you could get a University post and theres a lot of competition for those and crap pay. Language schools are generally badly paid, and a lot of the larger ones in Prague are struggling.
If i was young and mobile I wouldnt move here....